Marcus Thuram is expected to sign his five-year contract with Inter next week, having chosen the Nerazzurri over their intercity rivals Milan.
The 25-year-old Frenchman has decided to leave Borussia Monchengladbach on a free transfer this month, allowing him to finally make the jump to Serie A. Paris Saint-Germain were also interested in him, but failed to convince him of the project despite the lucrative contract offer.
Thuram will be a welcome addition to Simone Inzaghi’s squad, bolstering their frontline following the recent departure of Edin Dzeko. This season, he scored 16 goals and provided seven assists in 32 appearances across all competitions.
La Gazzetta dello Sport details why Thuram chose to join Inter over Milan this summer, starting with the terms of his contract. The Frenchman will earn around €6m net per season for five years, a better offer than the one from the Rossoneri.
This is not the only reason why the 25-year-old picked black and blue, however. The club have been keen to welcome him for a long time now, first wanting to sign him two years ago before a serious knee injury torpedoed a deal, and sporting director Piero Ausilio worked personally on the deal in the period around the World Cup in Qatar.
Thuram has admitted to being a childhood fan of Ronaldo during the Brazilian’s time at Inter and in October 2020 told Gazzetta that “I dream of playing at the San Siro”. He spoke to Inzaghi on the phone recently, where he was told how he’d be used in the 3-5-2 system and what his role would be in the project.
The 25-year-old has been impressed by the team’s style of play and believes his qualities would be exalted in Inzaghi’s system, making the move even more attractive. He had also spoken with Stefano Pioli, but was evidently less convinced by the project on the other side of the Lombardy capital.